Our first stop will be at TGI Fridays for an early lunch (lunch on your own). Following lunch we will head over to the South Windsor Senior Center to hear an inspiring talk from Sam Ducharme.

Sam Ducharme set out on a 2180 mile, 14 state backpacking trip from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine to thru hike the Appalachian Trail. During his six month journey he documented the rugged beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, the wildlife, the hardships encountered on the trail, as well as the people, culture and humanity at its finest.

Join us as Sam tells his journey through the trail towns, over the mountaintops and through the backcountry. The images and stories will leave you with a renewed awe of the beauty of our country and its people. See his gear, learn how he cooked, and hear what it is like sleeping in a hammock for six months through three seasons. You will also hear how Sam returned to the trail the following year, connecting with aspiring thru hikers, paying it forward, and his return to the summit of Mt. Katahdin.

Sam Ducharme is a retired K9 Officer and is a lifelong resident of Connecticut. He has two adult sons, both serving in the United States Air Force. As an avid outdoorsman, (and finding the nest empty), Sam decided to buy a backpack and a plane ticket to Georgia. From there, he started walking north. With no prior backpacking experience, he learned on the trail. Gear, trail nutrition, enduring the elements, and the logistics involved in a long distance backpacking trip were hard lessons. After 20 years working within Connecticut’s prisons, the search for a positive recharge resulted in a life changing journey.

Following Sam’s talk, you will have an option to head outside to enjoy a 30-40 minute light hike at the South Windsor Senior Center. This hike is optional and you can remain in the Senior Center instead.

Enjoy a delicious, all you can eat, family-style chicken luncheon at Wright’s Farm Restaurant! Your fabulous meal consists of dinner rolls with butter, fresh green salad with Wright’s Farm Classic Italian dressing, pasta with red sauce, Wright’s amazing French fries and of course Wright’s famous, tender and juicy roast chicken. Included with your meal will be coffee or tea and if you have room – ice cream for dessert!

Following lunch, a short ride brings you to Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery. Wright’s Bakery specializes in a number of baked goods, including dessert cakes, cupcakes, cream pastries, flaky pastries, pies, bars, sweet rolls and buns, plenty of assorted cookies and much more!

Their bakery is renowned for using only the highest quality ingredients including fresh milk and cream from their own cows. Fresh dairy products are also available including milk, cream, coffee milk, chocolate milk, cheddar cheese and ice cream! Be sure to buy some treats to bring home!

Limited seats available.

Cost: $18No refunds given after May 16thunless your spot is filled.

REGISTRATION BY TELEPHONE

Call in Registration begins at 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 11th. Do not call before 5:00pm.
*At 5:00pm on April 11th, Dial (860)889-5960. When you hear the message saying the Senior Center is closed, dial 3433 for the registration voice mail and follow the instructions.*This trip is open to Senior Center Members ONLY. You may register yourself plus one additional member when you call in to sign up. You must be an up-to-date member.

Your memorable day starts with time on your own to shop and dine at Chelsea Market in Manhattan. Built in the former National Biscuit Company factory complex, Chelsea Market fills two entire city blocks. This enclosed building is now home to an urban food court, restaurants and food stores. Chelsea Market also houses television production companies including The Food Network.

Following lunch, you will be dropped off at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Build on the former World Trade Center site, the Memorial & Museum is a tribute to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools, each nearly one acre in size, sit within the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood and have the names of those who died inscribed into bronze panels edging the pools.

Opened in 2014, the Museum tells the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts. The museum presents the intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery in the telling of the story of the 9/11 attacks and aftermath.

COST: $66 per person includes admission to 9/11 Memorial & Museum and transportation.

Driver tip is not included.Lunch is on your own at Chelsea Market.

There will be one rest stop on the way to New York and one on the return trip home.

REGISTRATION BY TELEPHONE

*On the registration day, dail 860-889-5960. When you hear the message saying the Senior Center is closed, dial 3433 and follow the instructions*

April Day Long Trip – This trip is open to any adult, 18 years old and older.

Start with a delicious buffet luncheon with all foods prepared on the premises.
Following lunch enjoy the hilarious Matinee performance of Exit Laughting!
When the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years has been your weekly bridge night out with the “girls,” what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies? If you’re Connie, Leona and Millie, three southern ladies from Birmingham, you do the most daring thing you’ve ever done. You “borrow” the ashes from the funeral home for one last card game, and the wildest, most exciting night of your lives involves a police raid, a stripper and a whole new way of looking at all the fun you can have when you’re truly living.
Following the Matinee, return to your seat in the dining room for a fun-filled Cabaret Show!

At the beginning of each month, (normally the 1st or 2nd Tuesday), we offer a shopping trip to Lisbon Landing. Each trip is limited to 9 people and shoppers are limited to a maximum of 4 bags (due to space constraints).

The bus will get you to Lisbon for 10 AM and will pick you up at 12:30 p.m. The bus will NOT be available to drop you off from store-to-store. You will be dropped off and picked up in front of the Walmart Superstore.

The bus departs the Senior Center at 9:30 a.m. Please call the Senior Center to reserve your seat. If you need a ride into the Center, you must book a ride on the 8:30 bus as well.